


Attention

by ranereins (shadowintime)



Category: Eureka
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-19
Updated: 2012-02-19
Packaged: 2017-10-31 10:10:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/342845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowintime/pseuds/ranereins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zane confused and frustrated Jack. Despite the fact that he has it good in Eureka, he still continued to do things that would land him in jail.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Attention

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Big Bang challenge @ fandomverse on LJ. Beta'd by sgflutegirl

Zane confused and frustrated Jack. He was doing well in Eureka; fitting in, working on projects that most of the scientists in the town would have readily given a body part to be a part of and he didn’t even have to ask. That was the way Zane’s luck seemed to go; he didn’t ask for anything, but he still managed to get everything he wanted and more. Jack wished he had Zane’s sort of luck… with his job, he really did need it.

Given how well Zane had it in Eureka, Jack really couldn’t figure out why Zane continued to do things that would land him in jail. Jack had arrested him five times already this month. He was beginning to feel that Zane spent more time in his jail than out of it, though on paper that might not be the case.

“Jack, it’s breakfast time,” Zane said, sliding his arms through the bars of the cell and resting them on the cross piece. He pressed his face between two of the bars and gave Jack his best charming smile.

“I know,” Jack replied as he worked on the paperwork cluttering his desk. “Vince made me a delicious breakfast burrito this morning.”

“Why didn’t you bring me one?”

“Because your stint is up in twenty minutes, you can go get yourself whatever you want then.”

“Prisoners are entitled breakfast.”

Jack nodded. “Yes, but not when they’re going to be released in 20 minutes so that they can get it themselves.”

Zane smirked, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Geez Sheriff, no breakfast for your overnight guests? No wonder you don’t have a girlfriend… or boyfriend. It’s just rude.”

Jack looked up to give him a glare. “You are not my guest, you’re my prisoner. There’s a big difference.”

“That hurts. I like to think of myself as a guest.”

Jack went back to his paperwork. “You would.”

“So what’s it take to be a _guest_?”

“A time machine to take me back before you became a colossal pain in my ass.”

Zane arched a brow. “You certainly expect a lot of your guests.”

“Only you.”

“Guess that makes me special.”

“Yeah, that makes you special,” Jack said sarcastically. “Special in a way that drives my blood pressure sky high.”

“Sex is a great stress reliever.”

“Yeah, well, my sex life is none of your concern.”

Zane grinned as he watched the oblivious sheriff and muttered, “Actually it is, more than you obviously know.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

When Jo returned from a call half an hour later, she looked at her watch and then at Jack. “Carter, what’s Zane still doing here?”

Jack looked at his watch. “Oh, I lost track of time and forgot… let him out.”

Jo grabbed the keys and unlocked the cell door. “I’m surprised you weren’t counting down the time and pestering Carter the second you were to be released.”

“Eh, what’s a little more time with my favorite Sheriff?”

Jo arched a brow in surprise.

Zane smiled at Jack. “See ya soon Jack.”

“Let’s not make it too soon, huh?”

Zane’s smile turned devious. “I make no promises.”

“Of course you don’t.”

“Later JoJo,” Zane said with a wave.

 

At lunch time, Jack piled all of the paperwork he’d spent the morning on into his outbox. “Finally done. Zane causes me too much paperwork. Next time, I may just let him off of the hook just to avoid the paperwork that comes with it.”

Jo chuckled. “Remember your duty Carter… you have to uphold the law, no matter how much paperwork comes with it.”

“I know, I know. But what good does it do? On _average_ , he spends two days a week behind bars. And if anything, he only seems to be getting worse. I mean seriously, who breaks into a house, doesn’t steal anything and sticks around for the twenty minutes it takes for me to get there, all the while being beat up by an old lady with a purse that packs a surprising punch?”

“Zane, apparently.”

“How about you take all Zane related calls for the next week?”

“No way! He runs from me.”

“What if I…”

“Save your breath, there’s nothing you can do to get me to fall on that particular sword.”

“Alright,” Jack said with a sigh. “Lunch then?”

Jo smiled and stood. “That, I will take you up on.”

Jack stood, grabbed his coat and they made their way out.

“Hey, uh, Carter?” Jo said, looking at the parking area with a frown.

“Yeah?”

“Where’s your Jeep?” she asked, pointing to his empty parking spot.

Jack jogged over to his now empty parking spot and looked around. “Wha- who took my Jeep?!”

“You don’t think that maybe Zane…”

Jack pinched the bridge of his nose. “Oh, I think so. He’s the only one that would be that stupid.”

 

Jack and Jo spent the day searching the town, asking everyone they met if they had seen either Zane or the Jeep, but no one had. Calling it a day, Jo drove him home.

“What the…” Jack said as Jo pulled into his front yard. Sitting in his normal parking area was the Jeep they’d spent the day looking for.

“Want some backup?” Jo asked.

“No. It’d probably be best if there were no witnesses,” Jack replied through gritted teeth.

Jo gave him a dubious look and reached to turn off her car.

Jack took a deep breath and held up a hand. “It’s alright, go on home… I won’t kill him. I may put the cuffs on a little too tight and throw him in the jail cell a little harder than necessary, but he’ll live.”

Jo chuckled. “You sure?”

“Yeah, it’s been a long day.”

“Alright,” she said hesitantly. “Call me if you need me.”

“Will do.” Jack got out of the car, shut the door behind him and walked to his front door. “SARAH, door.”

“Welcome home Jack, you have a guest.”

“No, I have an intruder.”

“I don’t understand…” SARAH said, her tone one of worry.

“What the hell Donovan?!” Jack said loudly before he even caught sight of the man stretched out on his couch.

Zane sat up and peered over the back of the couch at the angry sheriff. “Welcome home Sheriff.”

“Don’t you ‘welcome home Sheriff’ me! You stole my Jeep and broke into my house!”

“I didn’t break into your house, I was let in.”

“It’s true Jack, I let him in. He said that you were expecting him,” SARAH said apologetically. “You tricked me Zane!”

“Sorry SARAH,” Zane said sheepishly.

“It’s not your fault SARAH; he’s very good at charming his way in and out of things.”

Zane smirked. “So you do think I’m charming?”

Jack put his hands on his hips. “Shut up, you stole my Jeep!”

“Yeah, that I did do.”

Jack opened and closed his mouth several times, apparently too angry to speak.

“I guess you should arrest me,” Zane said, mischievous sparkle in his eyes, offering his wrists for Jack to cuff.

Jack narrowed his eyes at Zane. “Do… do you want me to arrest you?”

Zane smirked as he watched the pieces _finally_ falling into place for the sheriff. “I do have a thing for handcuffs… and people who can arrest me. Well, at least one of them.”

“Wait… so all this time, all those times that you did stupid stuff that I had to arrest you for… that’s all been…”

“Foreplay?” Zane provided. “Yeah, but you’re pretty oblivious. Not that I didn’t have fun with it.”

“Fun?” Jack asked in disbelief. “You broke into an old lady’s house! You could have given her a heart attack!”

“Yeah, that one wasn’t so much fun. And in my defense, between me and her, I was the one more likely to die that night.”

“That doesn’t make it better.”

Zane got to his knees on the couch so that he was eyelevel with Jack. “I know. I do feel bad about it. But I had to do _something_ to get your attention.”

“And you thought breaking the law was the way to do it?”

“Like I said, I have a thing for handcuffs.” Zane began to lean closer to Jack. “Besides, opposites attract… we’re pretty opposite.”

“Couldn’t be more opposite,” Jack mumbled as he watched Zane.

“So, have I got your attention?” Zane asked, his face close enough to Jack’s that they shared the same breath.

Jack grinned. “Oh yeah.”


End file.
